Rent a car or hire a taxi

[hobbyhrs97]

This will be our first Princess cruise and first time to Curacao.We have already booked a sunset cruise , we are in port from 1pm-10pm. So we will have limited time to explore.

We are a group of 5 and want to do our own thing.We are all in the midst of making a list of must sees. Has anyone rented a car here?

Do they drive on the opposite side of the road?

How crazy are the drivers:eek:?

Or are we better off getting a taxi and having a local show us around? Has anyone done this and what is the cost?

[Isa65]

We drive on the right-hand side of the road and the driving is fairly easy.

 

The only thing --- most directions/routes are not clearly indicated. Therefore I recommend everyone on a land vacation to rent a car, but if you're coming in on a cruise....no.

 

If your time is limited you will lose precious portions of it just getting the rental car. By the time you've figured out your way around, it'll be time to get back to the pier.

The best rental option is when you're in port between 08.00 am and 17.00 pm.

Otherwise, make a list of things you want to see and hire a driver before-hand or there are plenty of cabs at the pier (most you can bargain a price with).

 

Have a great cruise!

[hobbyhrs97]

We drive on the right-hand side of the road and the driving is fairly easy.

 

The only thing --- most directions/routes are not clearly indicated. Therefore I recommend everyone on a land vacation to rent a car, but if you're coming in on a cruise....no.

 

If your time is limited you will lose precious portions of it just getting the rental car. By the time you've figured out your way around, it'll be time to get back to the pier.

The best rental option is when you're in port between 08.00 am and 17.00 pm.

Otherwise, make a list of things you want to see and hire a driver before-hand or there are plenty of cabs at the pier (most you can bargain a price with).

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Thanks so much , I think we will get a taxi and see the island that way. What do you recommend us to see, our list so far is the caves,the floating market and the Queen Emma Bridge.

[Isa65]

The floating market and the Queen Emma bridge you can see on foot (actually you need to cross the bridge to get to the market).

 

So you might want to take a walk to downtown, after sightseeing there you can hop on a cab (taxi stand on Mainstreet) and visit the caves, Shete Boka national park, etc). The driver will have plenty of suggestions.

 

Enjoy your day here!

[Shawnino]

Isa65 has it right--if you only have one day, hire a driver. Driving in Curacao is not congested at all, but has its challenges. Among them:

 

--A majority of streets have no streetsigns. Why would they bother? Everyone knows where everything is. One street starts in Otrabanda and picks up on the other side of the harbour in Punda. ("Breedestraat" as I recall. And that's what I loved about learning Papiamentu: there's no such thing as a spelling mistake. You can spell anything any way you want as long as it's phonetic. How awesome is that? Spelling lessons in English traumatised me, seriously.)

 

--There are two roundabouts to get out of town. When I lived there a few years ago, at one roundabout the people entering the circle had the right of way. At the other, those exiting had the right of way. When I asked my colleagues about this, they shrugged and said that's just the way it was now.

 

--It's pretty easy to drive at reasonable speeds, unless it rains. If it rains, it's dangerous to do more than 15-20 km/h on the paved roads: the asphalt compound has so much oil and other slick stuff in it it's like driving on fresh ice (in summer tires of course). If it was raining heavily in morning rush hour, I'd call my staff and tell them to stay home until it lifted.

 

--I knew several people who drove (well) but never got around to getting drivers licenses.

 

--Rental cars are routinely stolen.

 

Hire a taxi. The drivers are knowledgeable and friendly. Most speak good English, even if it is a fourth language for most Curacaoleni. Curacao is a magical place; don't let my bits above put you off the island as a whole. You're just better off taking a taxi.

[hobbyhrs97]

Isa65 has it right--if you only have one day, hire a driver. Driving in Curacao is not congested at all, but has its challenges. Among them:

 

--A majority of streets have no streetsigns. Why would they bother? Everyone knows where everything is. One street starts in Otrabanda and picks up on the other side of the harbour in Punda. ("Breedestraat" as I recall. And that's what I loved about learning Papiamentu: there's no such thing as a spelling mistake. You can spell anything any way you want as long as it's phonetic. How awesome is that? Spelling lessons in English traumatised me, seriously.)

 

--There are two roundabouts to get out of town. When I lived there a few years ago, at one roundabout the people entering the circle had the right of way. At the other, those exiting had the right of way. When I asked my colleagues about this, they shrugged and said that's just the way it was now.

 

--It's pretty easy to drive at reasonable speeds, unless it rains. If it rains, it's dangerous to do more than 15-20 km/h on the paved roads: the asphalt compound has so much oil and other slick stuff in it it's like driving on fresh ice (in summer tires of course). If it was raining heavily in morning rush hour, I'd call my staff and tell them to stay home until it lifted.

 

--I knew several people who drove (well) but never got around to getting drivers licenses.

 

--Rental cars are routinely stolen.

 

Hire a taxi. The drivers are knowledgeable and friendly. Most speak good English, even if it is a fourth language for most Curacaoleni. Curacao is a magical place; don't let my bits above put you off the island as a whole. You're just better off taking a taxi.

 

Thank you so much for the advice,do you happen to know what the taxis would charge us a 2-3 hour tour?

[Shawnino]

No clue.

 

What I will say is everything is negotiable and tourists do occasionally get soaked. As one example, there are plenty of places where the rate isn't quoted in currency. At the Bluebaai golf course, for instance, when I lived there green fees were "55". Locals paid 55 Florin. Tourists happily paid $55, 1.78 times as much.

 

Whatever the cabbie asks for, I'd sort the currency out, then offer half, and be prepared to pay 60-65%.

[hobbyhrs97]

No clue.

 

What I will say is everything is negotiable and tourists do occasionally get soaked. As one example, there are plenty of places where the rate isn't quoted in currency. At the Bluebaai golf course, for instance, when I lived there green fees were "55". Locals paid 55 Florin. Tourists happily paid $55, 1.78 times as much.

 

Whatever the cabbie asks for, I'd sort the currency out, then offer half, and be prepared to pay 60-65%.

 

What is the currency there? Do they take U.S or should we find somewhere to do a currency exchange?

[Isa65]

You're ok with US Dollars.

 

Local currency is the Antillean Guilder (aka Florin) and official conversion is 1.78 guilders to a dollar. (some folks make that 1.75 others 1.80)

[hobbyhrs97]

You're ok with US Dollars.

 

Local currency is the Antillean Guilder (aka Florin) and official conversion is 1.78 guilders to a dollar. (some folks make that 1.75 others 1.80)

 

Ok thanks

[monicajay]

It seems each request for car rental information leads to the recommendation to use a taxi or take a tour:rolleyes:. My DH and myself enjoy the freedom of exploring around with a rental vehicle.

 

I would like to hear from cruisers who have done a one day rental. Which company did you rent from? Did it take a long time to get the car? Where did you pick up the car? How crazy was the driving? What were the pros and cons?

 

There must be some people who've rented in the past.

[Isa65]

It seems each request for car rental information leads to the recommendation to use a taxi or take a tour:rolleyes:

 

Not quite. Cruise guests that get here in the morning and have the entire day I absolutely recommend renting a car (as I have posted earlier in this thread).

 

However, if your ship docks at 1 or 2 pm, you will only have about 4 - 5 hours of daylight and if you deduct 1 hour for the actual rental procedure and getting on the road, that would be one expensive rental.

 

The easiest option is Avis rent-a-car who has an office pretty close to the pier. They do take lots of time to process the rental, keep that in mind.

 

I hope you get replies from guests who have rented before. Have a great cruise!

[leighuf]

We are in port from 8-5. We want to go to the Dolphin Aquarium, restaurant, and beach during our time. Additionally, we want to shop. We are a group of 7.

 

Car or hire a driver? Undecided.